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September 30, 2007

NEW! Compass CB530 Booster Seat

 

 

 

Compass introduced a new booster seat and new colors at the ABC Expo earlier this month. We just received some stock and the seats look great. The Compass Company, now owned by RC2, are very well known for their booster seats.

The new Compass CB530 booster seat comes in Cappuccino(shown above) and Misty Mornin. Now for some interesting facts. The Compass CB530 has 6 adjustable positions to grow with your child and accomodates a child from 30-100 pounds, 38-57" tall approximatley 3-10 years old. Rotating arm rests, full EPS padding in the seat, and head region, a wide seat for added comfort and foldability make the Compass CB530 wonderful.The new CB530 retails for $79.99 and is available in select stores now. Click here to purchase or to read more http://www.ellabellakids.com/compass-booster-seat-cb530-misty-morning-.html.

Posted by Alissa Wolbach at 05:38 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Kolcraft/Graco/Simplicity Recalls

Kolcraft/Graco/Simplicity Recalls

 

With all the recent recalls its a wonder how some of these products ever got to market. As a parent myself I am always looking for the best products and not always the cheapest. A couple of things all of these products have in common are that they are made overseas and they are all very inexpensive.  Now I don't think expensive is always best, but a $50.00 playpen can't be all that great. It cost the retailer probably about 1/2 this so you can imagine that the materials and labor being used to construct such a product was close to pennies to the manufacturer.

 

 As a retailer I pride myself in finding good products that may cost a bit more but are solid, well constructed and JPMA certified. As a consumer I do the same thing. I don't always think cheap is best and visa versa. I don't think because something is on the market it is always safe or well made. My advice is to buy from a local specialty store or online business that knows there products and are selective when purchasing these products. Mass stores pick product based on price to sell high volumes. They don't know anything about these products nor do the staff that sell the items. Find a good solid retailer that can advise you and stand behind each and every product they sell. As a side note don't forget to read the directions when putting products together, don't skip steps and don't substitute parts. It is always a safety hazard when this is done.

 

 We don't need anymore devastating deaths to teach us to be more selective when making purchases for our most precious children. We need to demand better products and more testing done on these products before they are put out on the market.

 

Posted by Alissa Wolbach at 05:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 29, 2007

NEW HOT! Baby Carrier-Lascal M1

 

We now have a another great option for toting our newborns around. Most  are familiar with the Baby Bjorn Original carrier as well as the Baby Bjorn Active carrier out of Sweden. Now there is a new carrier out by Lascal called the Lascal M1 carrier. You may be familar with other Lascal products such as the Kiddy Board and Buggy Board.  The M1 carrier is very cool and very fashion forward. Snazzy new colors include bright blue, green, red, orange etc. For the those of you who want something more natural, the M1 carrier is made from bamboo material. This is a very soft fabric and more natural against your baby's skin. It has mesh lining to keep baby and the baby wearer more comfortable. The support on the back of the carrier is very similar to the Bjorn Active with its lumbar support system. It is easy to put on and take off, though at first, it looks a bit daunting. The head support for baby is very good...more front head support than the Active, and it just feels good on. This front pack is only forward facing taking baby from 8-30 pounds in weight. Geared for the more modern and sporty parent who is looking for something just a little bit better than what is currently on the market. Retails for about $129.99.  Visit http://www.ellabellakids.com/lascal.html for more information or to purchase. Email customerservice@ellabellakids.com with questions or comments about this product or other carriers out there.

Posted by ellabella at 06:46 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 21, 2007

Baby Shoes...All Your Questions Answered

  See Kai Run Emily Shoes See Kai Run Tristan Shoes

First shoes for your baby can be a very eye opening experience. Many new mom and dads come to ellabella searching for the perfect first baby shoes. The main question we here from parents is "what shoe is the best"? We usually come back with "bare feet are best", but the next best thing would be a soft sole shoe that is flat with no arch such as Robeez, Bobux or Jack and Lily shoes. All of these shoes are similar in function but each brand has its own style. Beyond this shoe, are the very cool Pedipeds shoes. Pedipeds are pediatrician endorsed as are Bobux and other soft sole shoes. Pedipeds have a little traction on the bottom but the feedback we recieve is it still can be a bit slippery on tile for brand new walkers. Pedipeds baby shoes come in great colors and styles. Pedipeds introduces new styles twice a year and have consistent top sellers available year round. Price point is around $28.00 and sizes range from 0-6M, 6-12M, 12-18M, and 18-24M. There is a great size chart on each of the Pedipeds item pages at ellabellakids.com, so check it out for the best fit. Beyond this shoe, once your child has an established walking pattern, brands seem endless. Soft, flexible shoes are such a great trend that all the baby shoe manufacturers are coming out with their own versions. See Kai Run shoes based in Seattle, Washington sells very soft shoes made out of a goat skin with a TPR rubber sole for enhanced flexibility...a good thing. See Kai Run shoes run size 3-9. They have a great variety of classic boy and girl shoes as well as very trendy/retro styles. A little something for everyone. These shoes are not for everyday outside play due to their softness, they will not hold up to very rough play day in and day out. The quality though is very good and we very rarely get a return for this reason. Best of all, if you have a baby with a wide foot, the See Kai Run brand is excellent. They naturally run wide. On the other side, if you have a baby /toddler with a very narrow foot then these shoes will not fit very well. Give ellabella kids a call or shoot us an email of you have questions on buying your baby's first shoes!

Posted by Alissa Wolbach at 08:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

September 20, 2007

10 Miles of Furniture, Carseats and More Baby Gear

When my wife told me that we were going to to the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas, I was excited. I thought that we would be able to get away for a quick, fun vacation and get a little work while we were there. I thought of all of the fun things to do in Vegas: Maybe we could go to a show, shop a little and go out to dinner... Boy, was I in for a surprise. From 6:00am to 7:00pm, we got to see the COOLEST baby products on the market, but no Vegas shows.

UPPABaby Vista Stroller

Things I like about it! The UPPABaby Vista Stroller is a stroller a Dad can love! It comes with a detachable bassinet that can be used in the nursury or for a trip to Grandma's. The stroller is lightweight and turns on a dime. The thing that surprised me the most about the Vista is how easy if folds down and how compact it is. The UPPABaby Vista is light enough that my wife would be comfortable pulling it out of the car for a short shopping trip. Plus, the Red fabric is my favorite!

Things I don't like about it! At $599, the price is a little steep. Of course, when you compare it to the Bugaboo Cameleon at $900, it really is a good value.

Over the next couple of weeks, I am going to write about all of the cool Dad friendly products that we saw in Las Vegas. Well, even though I didn't get to see any shows or vacation in Vegas, the trip to the ABC Show opened my eyes up to all of the new children's products!

Posted by Jacob Wolbach at 09:10 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We're Back...

Hello to all of our loyal Ellabella customers and welcome to all of you who are new to this blog. We started a great blog about a year ago and just didn't have the time to keep up on it. Well now we are more prepared to keep you up to date on the who's and what's of the baby industry.

We have been hard at work re-launching the new ellabellakids.com website.. If you haven't seen it, we invite you to check it out. It is chalk full of great new baby products, gear and gifts. The ellabella kids staff just got back from ABC with tons of great new ideas and a maxed out credit card. We will be featuring brand new 2008 baby products through the next 4 months. New strollers, car seats, furniture and gear from all the major brands and some impressive up-and-coming manufacturers.

We invite you to share your ideas and comments with us. If you see something you think is worth letting us know about give us a shout, we would love to hear from you.

 

Alissa Wolbach

EllabellaKids owner and Mom of 4

Posted by ellabella at 09:01 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)